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McIntosh County History

Officially the county was organized on March 9, 1883. But those who lived in it at the time were trappers and hunters. The military route led from Fort Abercrombie on the Red River to Fort Yates on the west bank of the Missouri river. Orignainally McIntosh county was a part of Logan county. When the Dakota legislature decided to separate it from Logan county it got the name of E.H. McIntosh, a prominent member of the territorial Council. The governor of the Territory, Mr. Givert A. Pierce, appointed the following personas as commissioners of the county: W. Lilly, charled Morell, Charles V. Boyse. John H. Wishek was appointed County Secretary and Land Registrar. They completed the organization of the county on October 4, 1884. John Wishek was from Pennsylvania and of German decent. He was of great help to the German Russian immigrants and enjoyed their high esteem. During the first years the county was often in great distress, as also were its first settlers. There were terrible droughts and thus came the need of seed, even flour for the people and the simple necessities of life. Only after years of hardship did conditions improve. In the course of years the Germans from Russia who becae the majority of the county's population also managed the county. The first county seat was Hoskins. In November 1887 it moved to Ashley.